Discovery signaling for seamless roaming

Abstract

This disclosure provides methods, components, devices and systems for discovery signaling for seamless roaming. Some aspects more specifically relate to indicating or advertising information associated with a single mobility domain (SMD) and information associated with access point (AP) devices that support seamless roaming. In some implementations, an AP device or a multi-link device (MLD) may transmit parameters associated with the SMD MLD to advertise information of the SMD MLD. In some implementations, the AP device or MLD may advertise candidate AP devices, which may support the seamless roaming. A non-MLD device, such as a wireless station (STA), may request additional information for a candidate AP device that supports seamless roaming. The AP device may transmit a response to the request indicating a portion of a profile of the candidate AP device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A first device, comprising:
 a processing system that includes processor circuitry and memory circuitry that stores code, the processing system configured to cause the first device to:
 transmit an indication of a first set of parameters associated with a single mobility domain (SMD) multi-link device (MLD), wherein the first set of parameters comprises at least an identifier of the SMD MLD and one or more roaming capabilities of the SMD MLD; 
 transmit an indication of one or more access point (AP) devices affiliated with the SMD MLD for which roaming of a wireless station is supported without reassociation; and 
 facilitate a transfer of context information for the wireless station from a first AP device of the one or more AP devices to a second AP device of the one or more AP devices in accordance with the roaming. 
   
     
     
         2 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first device to:
 receive a request for information associated with an AP device of the one or more AP devices based at least in part on transmitting the indication of the one or more AP devices.   
     
     
         3 . The first device of  claim 2 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first device to:
 transmit, in response to the request for information associated with the AP device, a message indicating at least a first portion of the first set of parameters associated with the SMD MLD and at least a second portion of a second set of parameters associated with the AP device.   
     
     
         4 . The first device of  claim 3 , wherein, to transmit the indication of the one or more AP devices, the processing system is configured to cause the first device to:
 transmit, to a broadcast address, the message comprising at least the first portion of the first set of parameters and at least the second portion of the second set of parameters.   
     
     
         5 . The first device of  claim 3 , wherein the second set of parameters comprises one or more link identifiers of links established with the AP device an identifier of the AP device, a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the AP device, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The first device of  claim 2 , wherein the request for information associated with the AP device comprises an identifier of the AP device, a transmitter address of the AP device, a basic service set identifier associated with the AP device, a basic service set color associated with a basic service set of the AP device, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The first device of  claim 2 , wherein the request corresponds to all AP devices of the one or more AP devices or a subset of AP devices of the one or more AP devices. 
     
     
         8 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more roaming capabilities of the SMD MLD include a backhaul capability of the SMD MLD. 
     
     
         9 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein, to transmit the indication of the first set of parameters, the processing system is configured to cause the first device to:
 transmit a management frame, a beacon signal, a probe request, a probe response, an associated request, a reassociation request, or a response frame, a multi-link reconfiguration message, a basic service set transition management message, or any combination thereof, comprising the indication of the first set of parameters associated with the SMD MLD.   
     
     
         10 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein, to transmit the indication of the first set of parameters, the processing system is configured to cause the first device to:
 transmit an indication of a profile for each AP device of the one or more AP devices affiliated with the SMD MLD.   
     
     
         11 . The first device of  claim 10 , wherein a profile for an AP device of the one or more AP devices affiliated with the SMD MLD comprises a Media Access Control address associated with the AP device, an identifier associated with the AP device, one or more AP MLD identifiers, one or more link identifiers of links established with the AP device, a service set identifier associated with the SMD MLD, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The first device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first device to:
 receive, from the AP device, an indication of the one or more link identifiers of the links established by the AP device.   
     
     
         13 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein, to transmit the indication of the one or more AP devices, the processing system is configured to cause the first device to:
 transmit a reduced neighbor report element, a neighbor report element, or a multi-link element, or any combination thereof, comprising the indication of the one or more AP devices affiliated with the SMD MLD.   
     
     
         14 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein the indication of the one or more AP devices comprises a basic service set parameters subfield and an MLD parameters subfield for each AP device of the one or more AP devices. 
     
     
         15 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein the indication of the one or more AP devices indicates whether each AP device of the one or more AP devices is an MLD AP or a non-MLD AP. 
     
     
         16 . The first device of  claim 1 , wherein the context information comprises one or more encryption keys associated with the wireless station, one or more pseudorandom numbers associated with the wireless station, one or more sequence numbers associated with the wireless station, one or more block acknowledgments associated with the wireless station, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . A second device, comprising:
 a processing system that includes processor circuitry and memory circuitry that stores code, the processing system configured to cause the second device to:
 receive an indication of a first set of parameters associated with a single mobility domain (SMD) multi-link device (MLD), wherein the first set of parameters comprises at least an identifier of the SMD MLD and one or more roaming capabilities of the SMD MLD; 
 receive an indication of one or more access point (AP) devices affiliated with the SMD MLD for which roaming of a wireless station is supported without reassociation; and 
 facilitate a transfer of context information for the wireless station from a first AP of the one or more AP devices to a second AP device of the one or more AP devices in accordance with the roaming. 
   
     
     
         18 . The second device of  claim 17 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the second device to:
 transmit a request for information associated with an AP device of the one or more AP devices based at least in part on transmitting the indication of the one or more AP devices.   
     
     
         19 . The second device of  claim 18 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the second device to:
 receive, in response to the request for information associated with the AP device, a message indicating at least a first portion of the first set of parameters associated with the SMD MLD and at least a second portion of a second set of parameters associated with the AP device.   
     
     
         20 . The second device of  claim 19 , wherein, to receive the indication of the one or more AP devices, the processing system is configured to cause the second device to:
 receive, via a broadcast address, the message comprising at least the first portion of the first set of parameters and at least the second portion of the second set of parameters.   
     
     
         21 . The second device of  claim 18 , wherein the request for information associated with the AP device comprises an identifier of the AP device, a transmitter address of the AP device, a basic service set identifier associated with the AP device, a basic service set color associated with a basic service set of the AP device, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The second device of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more roaming capabilities of the SMD MLD include a backhaul capability of the SMD MLD. 
     
     
         23 . The second device of  claim 17 , wherein, to receive the indication of the first set of parameters, the processing system is configured to cause the second device to:
 receive a management frame, a beacon signal, a probe request, a probe response, an associated request, a reassociation request, or a response frame, a multi-link reconfiguration message, a basic service set transition management message, or any combination thereof, comprising the indication of the first set of parameters associated with the SMD MLD.   
     
     
         24 . The second device of  claim 17 , wherein the indication of the one or more AP devices comprises a basic service set parameters subfield and an MLD parameters subfield for each AP device of the one or more AP devices. 
     
     
         25 . A method for wireless communications at a first device, comprising:
 transmitting an indication of a first set of parameters associated with a single mobility domain (SMD) multi-link device (MLD), wherein the first set of parameters comprises at least an identifier of the SMD MLD and one or more roaming capabilities of the SMD MLD;   transmitting an indication of one or more access point (AP) devices affiliated with the SMD MLD for which roaming of a wireless station is supported without reassociation; and   facilitating a transfer of context information for the wireless station from a first AP device of the one or more AP devices to a second AP device of the one or more AP devices in accordance with the roaming.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the one or more roaming capabilities of the SMD MLD include a backhaul capability of the SMD MLD. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein transmitting the indication of the one or more AP devices comprises:
 transmitting a reduced neighbor report element, a neighbor report element, or a multi-link element, or any combination thereof, comprising the indication of the one or more AP devices affiliated with the SMD MLD.   
     
     
         28 . A method for wireless communications at a second device, comprising:
 receiving an indication of a first set of parameters associated with a single mobility domain (SMD) multi-link device (MLD), wherein the first set of parameters comprises at least an identifier of the SMD MLD and one or more roaming capabilities of the SMD MLD;   receiving an indication of one or more access point (AP) devices affiliated with the SMD MLD for which roaming of a wireless station is supported without reassociation; and   facilitating a transfer of context information for the wireless station from a first AP of the one or more AP devices to a second AP device of the one or more AP devices in accordance with the roaming.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein receiving the indication of the first set of parameters comprises:
 receiving a management frame, a beacon signal, a probe request, a probe response, an associated request, a reassociation request, or a response frame, a multi-link reconfiguration message, a basic service set transition management message, or any combination thereof, comprising the indication of the first set of parameters associated with the SMD MLD.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein receiving the indication of the first set of parameters comprises:
 receiving an indication of a profile for each AP device of the one or more AP devices affiliated with the SMD MLD.